


It’s Clear We Deserve Each Other

by ohlooksomethingshiny



Series: Zukka Week 2021 [5]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Getting Together, M/M, Mentions of alcohol, They’re boyfriends they just don’t know it yet, Zukka Week 2021
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-27 08:07:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30119724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohlooksomethingshiny/pseuds/ohlooksomethingshiny
Summary: Why does everyone think Zuko and Sokka are dating? Is Sokka’s massive crush really that obvious?(Or five times somebody called Zuko his boyfriend and the one time Sokka finally asked him to be)
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Zukka Week 2021 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2205990
Comments: 14
Kudos: 124





	It’s Clear We Deserve Each Other

**1.**

As per their weekly tradition, Zuko and Sokka meet at the coffee shop on campus between classes so that Sokka can bitch about his physics lab.

It isn’t the lab itself since Sokka loves physics. It’s his lab partner he isn’t very fond of. He somehow manages to be the most insufferable person that Sokka has ever met. And he isn’t even good at physics. So Sokka spends the entire lab annoyed and also has to do all the work.

Naturally, he very much looks forward to meeting up with Zuko afterwards to complain. And oh boy, does he have some shit to say today.

He gets there before Zuko does and so he goes to the counter to order their drinks, an iced coffee for himself and a black tea for Zuko.

The girl who is usually working at the register is the same one Sokka sees most weeks that they meet up. Evidently she remembers them because after he orders their drinks she says, “You and your boyfriend are so cute!”

“Boyfriend?” He asks, a little caught off guard.

“The dark haired one you’re always with?”She says, “It’s so sweet that whichever one of you gets here first always gets both of your drinks. My boyfriend would never do that.”

Clearly, she needs a better boyfriend. Especially considering the fact that he and Zuko aren’t even dating.

But Sokka doesn't tell her that. He just laughs awkwardly and says, “Oh, we aren’t actually dating.”

She apologizes and then tells him that maybe he should consider it. Sokka has never wished harder for another customer to come in the door, simply so he can escape this conversation and this stranger giving him relationship tips. And not even good advice. Maybe he should consider it, as if he hasn’t been in love with Zuko for two years now. He’s definitely considered it. He’s considered it and knows it’s never going to happen. And he’s fine with that. Really. But he could do without people rubbing salt in the wound.

He’s still a little rattled by the conversation when Zuko comes in. Sokka slides his tea over as he sits down and Zuko gives him a bright smile.

Between that and the conversation he just had, he can hardly remember what he wanted to complain about in the first place.

But then Zuko asks how his lab was and it all comes rushing back. Sokka complains for a while and when he’s done, Zuko simply replies by saying, “That’s rough, buddy.”

It’s simple but effective. It makes Sokka laugh and also fall a little more in love with Zuko.

**2.**

One evening, they’re hanging out in Sokka’s dorm room and working on homework.

Zuko’s sitting at the desk like a normal person while Sokka is sprawled out on the floor, surrounded by probably every book that the school bookstore sells. And he’s reading none of them. He’s switching between scrolling on his phone and bothering Zuko. Neither of them are being all that productive but Zuko is at least trying a bit harder than Sokka is.

And Sokka is sick of not getting the attention he so clearly deserves. So he turns the bothering up a notch.

“Zuko,” he whispers, throwing in a poke to his side for good measure.

“What?”

“Zuko.” Sokka pokes him again.

“What?” He replies, sounding more annoyed this time.

“I’m bored. Want to go to the dining hall and get food with me?”

“I really need to get this done, Sokka,” Zuko says, turning back to his work. “It’s due tomorrow.”

“Due tomorrow? That’s future Zuko’s problem. Come on, I’m hungry.”

He doesn’t look up. “So then go get some food.”

This makes Sokka even more determined. He starts slowly making his way towards Zuko’s textbook and then quickly steals it.

He jumps up from his seat exclaiming, “Sokka! Give it back!”

Sokka sticks his tongue out and says, “Make me.”

So Zuko lunges for the textbook. And in the process ends up wrapped around Sokka as he holds the textbook out of Zuko’s reach.

They’re laughing and still standing far too close to one another. So of course, this is when Sokka’s roommate, Jet, decides that it is the ideal moment to walk in.

“You know, I’d appreciate the heads up if you’re going to have your boyfriend over,” he says.

“He’s not my boyfriend!” Zuko snaps. And Sokka’s a little hurt by how quick he was to deny it. But also he knows Zuko well enough to know how Jet gets under his skin. Sokka just hopes he didn’t mean anything by it. I mean, would being his boyfriend really be that terrible? He certainly didn’t think so.

But if Jet being annoying is the thing that gets Zuko to come to the dining hall for dinner with him, Sokka will take it.

And when he’s with Zuko, the crappy dining hall pizza never tasted so good.

**3.**

Sokka is required to attend a meeting once a semester with his academic advisor. It isn’t that he doesn't like Dr. Piandao, because he really does. He took a physics class with him last semester and it was probably his favorite class he’s taken in college so far.

So it isn’t who he’s meeting with as much as it’s what the meeting is about. See, Sokka’s idea of a good time does not include a 45 minute meeting in which he is expected to plan his future like he actually knows what he’s doing with his life. So it’s safe to say, Sokka’s been dreading this meeting since he scheduled it.

The meeting itself goes about how Sokka expected. They talk about his grades, what classes he needs to take in the future, the possibility of him attending grad school (which is a decision Sokka does not want to think about making right now) and what he might want to do after he graduates (another thing he doesn’t want to think about.)

Piandao must sense his panic because he changes the topic to Sokka’s personal life.

“So, how’s your boyfriend?” He asks.

And suddenly Sokka wishes they could go back to discussing his post graduation plans. “Who?” He asks, even though he has a pretty good idea who he’s referencing.

“The boy that used to meet you after class last semester?” Sokka hadn’t realized that Dr. Piandao had noticed that happening. Zuko had class in the building next door and they would meet up after class and go somewhere to study.

But why would that make his advisor think that they were dating? Friends could meet up after class. In fact, Sokka had met up with Aang earlier that same day. The only logical conclusion was that this crush that he had been harboring was far more obvious than he thought.

Oh fuck. If someone like Dr. Piandao, who had pretty limited interaction with Sokka had noticed, how could he be sure that Zuko hadn’t noticed? What if he was just too nice to tell Sokka he didn’t feel the same way?

Sokka does his best to pull himself together so that one of his favorite professors doesn't witness him spiraling. “Uh, we aren’t dating. Just good friends,’ he says, working hard to keep his voice even.

“I’m very sorry for assuming.”

Sokka gives him a small smile. “You certainly aren’t the first.”

**4.**

To celebrate surviving midterms, Zuko and Sokka decide to have a night out.

It’s the first midterm season that they’re both old enough to legally drink and so they decide to check out the bars across from campus. Sokka doesn’t anticipate the night getting too wild, since neither himself nor Zuko are very big on binge drinking. (Sokka can make terrible decisions without alcohol thank you very much)

The bar they decide to start at is called the Tipsy Turtleduck. It’s Zuko’s favorite. Mostly because he likes the alliteration in the name, but also because the idea of an animal that is a mix between a turtle and a duck is intriguing to him. They have this conversation every time they drive or walk by the bar. So of course this is where they decide to go. Sokka’s too far gone for him to deny Zuko this request.

It’s a fun place. The music is good and there are pool tables which Sokka is excited about. They mostly just spend the night hanging out with each other. Zuko goes to grab them drinks and Sokka challenges him to a game of pool. And if Sokka smacks Zuko’s ass with his pool stick when he leans in front of him to take a shot, his reasons for doing so are his own business.

Eventually, Zuko goes to the bathroom and Sokka sits down at the bar to grab them another round of drinks. He ends up sitting next to a pretty girl and even though he’s in love with the boy he came with, he asks, “Hey, can I buy you a drink?”

She looks confused. “Uh, I don’t think your boyfriend would like that very much.”

Sokka sighs. “He’s not my boyfriend,” he says.

The girl raises her eyebrows. “Well, either way. There’s something going on there that I don’t want to get in the middle of. Sorry, dude. I hope it works out.” Then she slides out of her seat and leaves Sokka alone.

Yeah, Sokka also hopes it all works out. But as more and more people start noticing his massive crush, the less hope he has that Zuko doesn't also know. And if Zuko did feel the same way, he would have said something by now, right?

Zuko comes out of the bathroom and slides into the empty seat next to Sokka. And Sokka’s glad that the girl had turned him down, because he wouldn’t want anyone else to be sitting in that seat.

**5.**

Sokka has always been terrified of Zuko’s sister. She’s just a little intense and he feels like she’s dissecting him with her eyes and learning all his secrets without him saying a word.

So when she corners him on campus one day, Sokka’s life flashes before his eyes.

Really it shouldn’t come as a surprise that she’s figured out that there’s something happening between him and Zuko since literal strangers have apparently started to notice.

“Something is going on with you and Zuko.” She says. It’s not a question so Sokka doesn’t know if he’s supposed to answer. Clearly he isn’t because she keeps talking. “You have to get your act together and tell him how you feel.”

Sokka laughs. “Sure, yeah, I’m sure that will go really well for me since he clearly doesn't feel the same way.”

Azula gives him a very unimpressed look. “Honestly, what does he see in you?”

“Nothing?”

She rolls her eyes. “You really are an idiot. He clearly has feelings for you and I’m tired of him trying to talk to me about them. We aren’t that kind of siblings.”

“Wait, he talks about me?” Sokka asks, feeling a little giddy.

Azula is clearly unimpressed. “If you don’t go talk to him, the next time he tries to bring it up I’m going to tell him you hate him.”

Sokka’s not too scared of the threat, since Zuko would hopefully know that wasn’t true, but he doesn’t love that Azula is apparently involved in this now. He is a little worried that she’ll get tired of waiting for Sokka to make a move and just tell Zuko himself. And if Zuko is going to find out, Sokka wants it to be from him.

“Okay.” Sokka says.

“Okay?”

“Okay, I’ll go talk to him. But if this blows up in my face I’m never speaking to you again.”

“Well,” Azula says, “Now I wish this was going to go badly so I wouldn’t have to talk to you again. But unfortunately Zuzu’s head over heels.”

Sokka still doesn’t totally trust Azula. He’s heard too many stories about their childhood from Zuko. But something about this conversation seemed as encouraging as a conversation could be with her.

So he makes a decision. “I’m going to do it,” he says, “Thanks, Azula.”

“Go talk to your boyfriend!’ She calls. It sounds like a threat.

“Not my boyfriend,” Sokka says for (hopefully) the last time.

**+1**

The only thing more terrifying than telling Zuko how he feels? Having to go back and tell Azula that he didn’t do it.

And it's that thought that gives him the courage he needs to go find Zuko.

Sokka finds him in his dorm room. When he knocks, Zuko opens the door immediately.

“You really shouldn’t open the door without looking,” Sokka says, stepping into the room, “What if I had been an axe murderer?”

“I knew it was you. I recognize your knock.” Well, that was certainly interesting. Sokka didn't even realize he had a certain knock, much less one that Zuko cared enough to learn. Huh. Maybe there was some truth to what people had been saying about them.

He decides to jump right in. “So, I just had a very interesting conversation with your sister.”

Zuko groans. “I’m so sorry, what did she want?”

“Oh, she just had some information that she thought might interest me.”

Zuko starts looking a little bit pale. “Oh shit,” he says, “She told you?”

Sokka nods, and Zuko starts rambling. “I’m so sorry, she threatened to tell you if I didn’t but I didn’t think she actually would. I didn’t want my feelings to ruin our friendship because you’re one of the most important people in my life. I don’t want to lose you but I get it if you don't want to be friends anymore.”

“I definitely don’t want to be friends anymore,” Sokka says, and Zuko makes a choked little heartbroken noise.

“Right, ok, well, I’ll get out of your hair then,” He says, turning to leave.

Sokka steps in front of him to stop him. “Okay, first of all, this is your dorm. Why are you the one leaving? And second, you didn’t let me finish. I don’t want to be your friend anymore because I want to be more than that.”

“What?”

“Buddy, I’ve been in love with you for like two years now.”

Zuko laughs, “Did you really just call me buddy in your love confession?”

“And look at that, I’m taking it back,” Sokka says, rolling his eyes fondly.

Zuko steps closer, “No take backs. You love me.”

“I really, really do. Wanna be my boyfriend?”

He smiles. “Not to sound cheesy, but I thought you’d never ask.”

“Can I kiss you?” Sokka asks, already leaning in a little. Zuko closes the rest of the distance between them and their lips finally meet. As far as first kisses go, it’s a pretty good one, but that may just be because they both had been wanting to do this for so long.

And when they start telling people that they’ve finally started dating, absolutely no one is surprised.

**Author's Note:**

> Title from the musical Wicked! (Shout out to [jorpheus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jorpheus/pseuds/jorpheus) for the title! i finally took one of your suggestions!)
> 
> My tumblr is ohlook-somethingshiny if you want to come say hi! Or click [here](https://ohlook-somethingshiny.tumblr.com/) :) 
> 
> Thanks for reading!!


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